


Secondment

by distractionpie



Series: Reed900 week [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Again, Gen, M/M, Post-Canon, Undercover As Prostitute, confused feelings, technically more pre-relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 01:33:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16398869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distractionpie/pseuds/distractionpie
Summary: In the wake of the android revolution there's a whole lot of scumbags who lose their willing victims and turn back to crimes against humans. Faced with a pattern of disappearances, a very reluctant Gavin is loaned to vice for an undercover job. RK900 is used to watching Detective Reed's back during homicide investigations, but this assignment takes him outside his usual parameters.





	Secondment

Human adaptability was fascinating.

Where androids were designed and designated for specific tasks and even now they were free to make their own choices most of their kind retained a narrow focus, humans were capable of taking on new missions, even those outside their skillset, and acquiring or improvising methods to carry out those missions even though they were never intended to do such things.

Which was why, although he’d expressed his displeasure, Detective Reed had taken on the secondment to the joint vice and missing persons task force even though he had never worked in either department before.

RK900 cannot deny his curiosity.

He had been programmed and built with law enforcement in mind and so that was the path he’d followed even after deviating. He’d taken the position in the DPD’s homicide department because they had already employed on detective prototype and therefore established the parameters and protocols for an android homicide investigator, so he’d had to do was download those protocols.

Now he is assisting his partner with a vice investigation and for the first time in his existence there is no data packet to provide him with the programming he needs in order to act optimally, he has been offered human resources to support him but no amount of those are the same as just knowing. He is going to have to _learn_.

He does not express his excitement at this new experience to his partner. Detective Reed has grown less abrasive in the months they’ve worked together, humans claim that familiarity breeds contempt but this case the already contemptuous detective seems instead to have grown bored of attempting to provoke his synthetic partner and had even once described RK900 as ‘less annoying than most of those other pricks, I guess’, but given Reed’s distaste for the assignment RK900 makes all signs of concurring with the disagreeableness of the mission.

There has been a considerable shift in crime trends since the android revolution, an unpleasant spike in both domestic and sexual crime now that humans could no longer release their worst impulses with androids without consequences. There’s also been a surge in the number of human sex workers since the various android sex clubs shut down. It was only a matter of time before those two elements had intersected.

Over the past three weeks eight sex workers have been reported missing. Alone this would have been a cause for some alarm, but the physical similarities between seven of the eight missing persons has led to a high alert response.

Nobody wants to assign the label when there aren’t bodies, but the precinct whispers say ‘serial killer’.

That profile of the victims beyond being sex workers —white males age 25-40, all of them dark haired and below average height, with a high similarity of facial features— is the cause of detective Reed’s involvement.

Because, and RK900 understands that the officers originally assigned to this case were incredibly reluctant to come forward about this fact despite how readily apparent it is, Detective Reed also fits the aesthetic profile of the victims.

And so he was the perfect officer to go undercover to try and draw out whoever was behind these crimes, and ultimately his commitment to his job had won out over his grumblings that the proposed sting should fall to somebody other than a homicide detective.

RK900’s role in their new assignment is to provide Reed with backup and so despite the difference in the cases it should not be too different from his usual tasks. Nevertheless, he feels a heightened sense of anticipation as Reed joins him in the borrowed car.

He opens his mouth to greet Reed, the acknowledgement serves no purpose but he finds such unnecessary human habits fascinating, but before he can speak Reed jabs a finger in his direction.

“Not. A. Word,” he hisses, as he slams the car door behind him.

Minor elevation to his heart rate. Shoulders curled into a tight hunch.

Reed is uncomfortable with his appearance.

RK900 has yet to grasp many of the ways humans responds to the appearances of their selves and others, but he complies with Reed’s directive while examining the man in an attempt to ascertain the reason for his present emotional state.

The vice department had prepared Reed’s cover for this assignment. He has been dressed in a form fitting black tank top the hem of which stops just above the narrowest point of Reed’s abdomen; jeans, not dissimilar from Reed’s usual style although also in a form fitting cut, the waist band resting mid-way down his hips; there are certain discrepancies between his current facial appearance and his usual appearance that indicate the application of cosmetics but their use is subtle. Reed’s scars are uncovered, four of the victims had visible scarring which has led to a working theory that scarring may be a preference of whoever is causing the disappearances although one that the perpetrator has been unable to satisfy with every victim.

All of RK900’s analysis suggests that Reed’s appearance is well suited to his cover. There is no reason for him to be distressed by it.

Humans are deeply irrational creatures.

Still, after setting the car to drive he continues examining Reed’s appearance. RK900 had awoken in winter and it has been a disappointing spring; most of Detroit’s citizens have barely begun to retire their winter coats in recent weeks, and Detective Reed habitually wears sweatshirts and jackets to work. RK900 has never seen so much of him unclothed and the newly revealed features --a tattoo on his shoulder, a scar just above his collarbone, the thin trail of hair on his stomach-- demand to be catalogued.

Given Reed’s agitation he keeps quiet until they stop at a destination a few blocks from the area all eight men have disappeared from. Here Detective Reed will exit the car and they will approach their posts separately so as not to arouse suspicion.

It is RK900’s last opportunity to ask a question which has been causing him difficulty.

“What precisely is my role in this operation?”

Reed’s jaw clenches, showing far more signs of stress than the question should have evoked. “Didn’t somebody explain this shit while the vice mother-fuckers had me dragged off for dress up?”

“I am aware that I am to continue in my normal capacity as your partner,” RK900 says, “Monitoring the area and providing backup as needed, while you pose in accordance with the victim profile. However, since you are acting in an undercover capacity I am concerned that my presence may be compromising without additional precautions.”

“Oh my god,” Reed slams his head against the seat’s headrest. Although the force is insufficient to cause significant cranial trauma it is nevertheless an inadvisable action and reminiscent of typical android self-destruction methods in a way that has RK900 braced to prevent a repeat of the action should Reed make a second attempt.

“Detective Reed,” RK900 says. “This is a serious matter. If the officers in charge of this investigation have overlooked this—”

“Nobody should see you,” Reed reiterates. “The target should think I’m alone. Being observed will probably scare him off.”

“I am aware of that,” RK900 says. “However, in order to maintain visual contact with you I must be in the vicinity which means there is a risk of somebody seeing me and connecting me with you. At which point you will be exposed as an undercover officer.”

“In this car?” Reed shakes his head. “No, vice know what they’re about.”

“I do not wish to demean the competence of the officers who prepared this cover,” RK900 begins carefully. Detective Reed is going into the field having been prepared by those officers and to instil doubt regarding their plan might cause him distress. However, “While it is more likely I will remain unobserved the chance of being perceived is not insignificant and I would find it useful to have a clear directive on how to proceed if you are identified as an uncover officer.”

“Oh for—” Reed presses a hand over his eyes, gripping his own skull as if attempting to soothe a headache. “From a distance nobody will know you’re an android and if somebody sees you in a car like this keeping an eye on things in a neighbourhood like that, they’re not gonna think cop, they’re gonna think pimp.”

It takes RK900 microseconds to process this statement and realise that Reed is correct. The ostentatious vehicle has been pulled from the impound lot and is not something that would typically be used in police work and the 2032 solicitation act means that there is no reason for the DPD to be investigating prostitution in the typical course of things. Most individuals who visited the area at night were connected to the sex trade and a prostitute would not remain in the vehicle, while somebody looking to buy would move on after a short period of time. Therefore, it would be perfectly logical for an onlooker to conclude RK900 is a pimp. Detective Reed’s pimp.

The notion is perplexing.

RK900 had understood his role to be Reed’s backup should he have the opportunity to engage with anybody connected to the disappearances, but Reed’s remarks suggest that in a way RK900 will also be undercover. It is not a task he has been assigned before and the role is --RK900 scans several databases for further information and finds himself momentarily overwhelmed, simultaneously revolted and riveted— outside his understanding. Human sexuality is a strange thing and Reed has never discussed his personal sexual habits in the workplace, beyond the vague allusions to prowess that seemed typical among the unmarried male officers, and had never disclosed any information about a sexual partner or partners. That did not preclude temporary or anonymous encounters, although RK900 had ruled out the possibility of Reed having a relationship which was simply secret from his workplace as improbable. Should the cover be tested, should RK900 need to play his role, he has no context for what a typical interaction between Reed and a sexual partner would resemble - but would that even matter, since Reed is also playing a part, they could establish whatever dynamic best suited.

Reed’s fingers snap beside RK900’s L.E.D. “You done with the questions?”

In truth, RK900 has many questions. None of them are urgent however, so he nods.

It is objectionable, watching Reed walk away. Although it is part of the mission and the chances of Reed being endangered on his short walk to his planned post, their separation is at odds with RK900’s directive to protect his partner.

It is an unpleasant sensation, having the mission and his more general directives in conflict, and it is difficult to resist the urge to adjust his approach. Arriving at a similar time may be suspect, but leaving Reed undefended is also far from ideal. While it is a slim chance there is always the possibility that the individual behind the disappearances could approach Reed while he was without backup. Reed is competent in self-defence by human standards, but he is still human and therefore all too easily harmed. And his cover has not allowed for a gun.

In the end, RK900 arrives at his post three minutes and twelve seconds early. If he were a human that would be considered within a reasonable margin of error.

Reed is in position on the corner, leaning back against the wall. His body language is clearly intended to be provocative, hips thrust forward, head tipped back, however to RK900’s programming it just registers as vulnerable. Reed habitually carries himself like he’s prepared for an attack at any moment, has proved its effectiveness with how quickly he’s transitioned from restful to in action on previous cases, but now his stance leaves him exposed, it would be easy for an attacker to unbalance him, to get in under his guard.

There are several other men in the vicinity, dressed similarly to Reed and no doubt engaging in the same enterprise that Reed is pretending to, they do not fit the victim profile but RK900 establishes background processes monitoring each one, ready for signs they are developing into a threat. Reed’s cover positions his as competition their livelihoods and if they felt he was a threat they might attempt to eliminate him.

Most of his attention, however, remains on Reed, who lights a cigarette.

Detective Reed is a semi-frequent smoker, however he generally has a preference for sweet flavoured electronic cigarettes, has been known to complain at length about the unpleasant smell of tobacco. Is this some part of his cover? RK900 recalls the profiles of the victims. Three smoked, four didn’t.

There appears to be no rationale for the action, so RK900 focuses on monitoring, diving his attention between Reed’s person and the rest of the traffic on the street, searching for their suspect but also alert for any others who might attempt to engage him in the activities his cover suggests he trades in.

Should a potential client take too much of an interest in Reed without appearing to be their suspect then Reed had been instructed to act off-putting and suggest rates far higher than the going rate. RK900 is not convinced of the potential effectiveness of this methodology. Reed’s appearance is sufficiently aesthetically superior to those legitimately working the area that it is entirely possible a potential client would consider a sum several times higher than the standard entirely reasonable.

His theory is tested not long after when a car pulls up, pausing beside Reed’s post for a few moments before a man climbs out, staggering over to Reed before falling to a halt with one hand on the wall —a drunken attempt at maintaining balance or a sloppy effort to cage Reed in?— while the other boldly gropes at the detective’s hip, and RK900 knows that Reed must want to push him away, he barely tolerates friendly touches from his fellow officers, but his cover forces him to tolerate this stranger who thinks he’s entitled to such intimate contact with a part of Reed RK900 had never even seen before tonight

RK900 pre-constructs three difference ways of incapacitating the john.

Reed hasn’t given any signal for him to interfere, nor is there any indication that he has been rendered unable to give such a signal and therefore RK900 should act unprompted. The newcomer is visibly out of shape and intoxicated and does not appear to be armed, there is no reason he should pose a threat to Reed.

And yet RK900’s programming continues to prompt him to intervene.

Prompts which turn to alerts as the potential john’s hand drops lower, into decidedly inappropriate regions for uninvited contact.

He is stationed too far away to hear the discussion and the potential client has his back to the vehicle, but the words on Reed’s lips are easily read.

“Hands off the merchandise unless you’re gonna cough up some Benjamins,” he snaps, but the stranger doesn’t remove the offending appendage and RK900 finds that his own hand has settled on the door handle, an automated response, as he seriously considers intervening despite the fact Reed hasn’t signalled for him to break cover.

He attempts to pre-construct how such a thing could occur while maintaining their covers, however he finds all predicted outcomes unsatisfactory. It is challenging, trying to write scripts for appropriate behaviour when most of the sources he can find are pornography. Scenarios in which he exits the vehicle and bodily removes the newcomer from Reed’s presence are satisfactory, but when his analysis software suggests pushing Reed to the ground and demanding repayment in the form of sexual services he abandons his projections --the construct of Reed’s distress would be unpleasant in any circumstances but under their current ones it is intolerable-- instead recalling Captain Fowler’s quiet reminder that as concerning as the disappearances are if the choice came between maintaining their covers and maintaining their safety, another approach to solving the case could be found.

It is a thought he finds himself returning to often as he counts off the hours. All of the victims disappeared between 0100 and 0400 and the case leads had agreed to focus their undercover operation to these hours in order to enabled Reed to get enough rest to also continue in his normal operational capacity. During that period two more individuals attempt to engage Reed’s services, although neither are as persistent as the first, as does one party of six heavily inebriated young people overcrowding a car.

At 0402 Reed finally vacates his post and if when they return it anybody finds out RK900 interfaces with the car to rewrite its automated systems to allow it to drive a little above the limit in order to be waiting at their meeting point when Reed reaches it then RK900 would be quite willing to explain that fixed speed limits are an outdated system that only remain in place because humans are slow to adapt even after multiple works of research have proven that variable limits are safer, improve traffic flow, and reduce pollution.

“Well, that was a fucking waste of time,” Reed complains, slamming the car door shut behind him.

“It was statistically unlikely that we would encounter the suspect on our first attempt,” RK900 assures him. “Nobody will perceive this as a failure.”

“I don’t care about that,” Reed’s shuts his eyes, fumbling for the pull tab to drop his seat into a reclining position, “Jesus, fuck, I just hope we don’t have to do this for long.”

RK900 weighs up potential outcomes, concluding that he is able to offer reassurance without being deceptive. “If this line of inquiry is not fruitful it is highly likely that the focus of the investigation will shift elsewhere and the task-force will allow us to return to our normal duties.”

“Thank fuck.” The pauses before Reed’s comments are getting longer and his blinks are slow, eyes falling shut only to jerk open moments later, clear indicators that he’s on the brink of sleep. “Run me the odds on it happening tomorrow?”

It’s impossible to make a reliable prediction when their success hinges on such an unknown element, but existing data suggests the odds are slim. That will not please Reed to hear though. “Why do you wish to know.”

“Because I’ve seen the forecast for this week,” Reed grumbles, words interspersed with a yawn. “Playing fake-hooker is one thing, but doing it in the rain… that’s really gonna suck.”

Reed’s words are casual but RK900 sets an alert to follow up on the issue. The clothes assigned to Reed for the cover are unsuited to the climate and his hours outdoors have led to his body temperature dropping to two degrees below average, above the threshold for hypothermia but decidedly non-optimal for human health. Should the weather turn worse, then the odds strongly suggest the assignment resulting in adverse impact on Reed’s health. But a quick search reveals that weather data for the dates of the previous disappearances suggests all eight nights were dry and there is a proven correlation between weather and overall levels of general criminal activity - it may be that their suspect only operates in favourable conditions which is information which may please Reed.

When RK900 looks to his side, though, Reed has fallen asleep in his seat.

And is shivering.

RK900’s main responsibility for the duration of this assignment is to ensure Reed’s continued well-being. Although the stakeout is over they have not yet reported into the station which makes it reasonable for that directive to remain in action.

Turning up the vehicle’s heaters would create an optimal temperature.

RK900 removes his jacket, draping it over Reed. There is enough difference in their builds that the body of the jacket covers him fully while the sleeves hang empty at his sides.

Upon joining the DPD, RK900 had acquired a plain jacket to be worn instead of his preferred uniform one in order to draw less attention when working cases which may require discretion, however it takes an non-disruptive amount of processing power to mentally construct an altered vision of Reed with RK900’s typical jacket covering him — the drape of it would leave RK900’s designation clearly legible.

There is no reason to pre-construct such a scenario. Deviancy is perplexing.

But the car is self-driving and until they arrive at the precinct there is nothing RK900 can do to further his mission, except continue to monitor Reed. Such an action could easily be performed as a background task. But Detective Reed’s head tips sideways, face pressing against the pristine fabric of the jacket, and RK900 keeps watch.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be sexy undercover-as-a-hooker fic in which Nines discovered lust but I started writing and protective Nines who is just overwhelmed by caring feelings he lacks the framework to understand happened instead.


End file.
